An 18-year-old Pueblo man was killed after the jeep he was driving drifted off a highway 10 miles southwest of town, vaulted through the air and slammed into trees, authorities say.
Carlos Torres of Pueblo was pronounced dead at the scene, said Trooper Heather Cobler, spokesman for the Colorado State Patrol.
Torres, who was the only one inside the 1996 Jeep Cherokee, was driving west on Colorado 78 at about 4:55 a.m. when the accident happened, Cobler said.
His jeep crashed into a barbed-wire fence, went airborne for 129 feet, crashed into trees and landed upside down.
Torres was thrown from the jeep during the accident. After landing, the jeep caught on fire.
The accident is under investigation. Troopers are investigating whether Torres was intoxicated and driving too fast.
